You Don't Know Her Like I Do
by Brynn MacKenzie
Summary: When James is served with divorce papers out of the blue one morning, he has to turn to Kendall and Jo to help him be strong and raise his daughter in the best way he knows how. Without Katie, it might be difficult, but not as hard as explaining to a four year old where mommy went. Jatie/Jendall
1. You Don't Know Her Like I Do

The bouncy blonde came down the steps dragging an old worn out doll by her hair. With each soft thud, there was a visible wince from the father. He sighed and went to the steps, where his daughter was currently scooting down each step methodically. "Val, I'm pretty sure you know how to walk down the steps correctly," The father scolded softly, kneeling down to her level. Valerie was incredibly smart for being four years old. "Can you stand up right? Please, sweetie, I'm talking to someone really important right now, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Valerie noticed the tiny hint of sadness in her father's voice and stared at him with bright brown eyes, just like her mother's. "Daddy, why are you sad? Don't be sad. It's wasted time."

While he wished he could say that was true, his heart wouldn't let him believe it. "Valerie, come with me…we need to have a discussion."

He hoisted the tiny child into his arms and carried her into the living room, placing her strategically on the couch that was covered in blankets and pillows from the night before. She kicked her feet and sucked her thumb happily, watching her dad talk to the tall man in a black suit. "Daddy, who is that?"

He got deathly quiet before looking to his daughter, ignoring her question. "I don't understand why she would do this…"

"Mr. Diamond, I'm sure you've noticed that Mrs. Diamond hasn't been happy lately."

"Well, honestly, I have noticed – but Katie doesn't really tell me things anymore. I assumed she was just upset with the way I was taking care of Valerie. She never mentioned wanting a divorce!" He threw his hands in the air and started pacing around, tapping his lip. For the first time in years, his hair wasn't pristine and perfect – if anything it was messy and sticky from children's hands. He stopped and choked down a sigh. "Doesn't Katie realize that I love her? I would do damn near anything for her."

The lawyer nodded, "So sign the papers, Mr. Diamond. It's what she really would appreciate it."

James relinquished a sigh and held out his hand to sign the paperwork. "Where will Valerie go?" He inquired before putting his name on the paper.

"Valerie would stay with you unless stated otherwise,"

He gripped the pen so hard his hands turned white. She was disowning the child he'd raised for the last four years? Did she not love her family as much as she led him to believe? He looked to Valerie with sympathetic soft brown eyes, and touched her hair gently. "If this is what she wants…I won't argue with her."

James threw the paper at the table with a frustrated sigh. The lawyer told him that he didn't need to make a decision until he talked to Katie, but since she sent a lawyer on her behalf, he assumed she didn't want to talk to him about it. The only thing holding him together was the tiny blonde sitting beside him, but deep in his heart, he felt a breakdown coming on. Valerie needed her mother.

The news had already hit the tabloids by that afternoon. He got texts and phone calls from the gang like mad, but he didn't reply to any of them.

_Are you and Katie fighting again? Is it serious this time? –Carlos_

_You broke my baby sister's heart? Are you deranged? –Kendall_

_I guess I should have seen this coming, you are a player. –Logan_

It was incredibly unsupportive of them to even imply he was the one who did it. James just didn't have the strength to answer them back right now. He sat, staring at the paperwork, willing it to change, willing it to go away. He'd quit his job for Katie, to help raise Valerie. Why would she leave him?

Valerie made a soft whimper and he turned to the child. "What's wrong, baby?"

"My tummy aches," She whispered softly, "I'm hungry."

"Pick one, kiddo. Does your tummy ache or are you hungry?" He stood to pick her up, wrapping his arms around her possessively. "If you're anything like daddy, you're probably hungry, because I know I am." He set her down at the table and softly kissed her hair. "Daddy will make grilled cheese, how does that sound?"

The little girl began to dance happily. She pushed her blonde hair back and set her doll gently beside her at the table. "Can Suzie have one, too?"

"If Suzie is hungry, I'm sure she can have one." He knew he'd likely wind up eating it anyway, but he didn't want to deter his child's happiness when he was having a bad day as it was. It was only a matter of time before she realized that mommy wasn't coming home. He opened the fridge to see there was no cheese and shook his head. "Oh my…today just keeps going downhill, doesn't it?"

"What's wrong, daddy?"

"Nothing, sweetie; want to go to the store with daddy so we can get some stuff?" Valerie wouldn't protest, she loved shopping with her daddy.

"I need shoes, daddy. Mommy doesn't let me go out without shoes." Valerie protested, holding out her foot to show him. "I need shoes, daddy."

"I heard you the first time, Valerie, you didn't need to repeat yourself." He knelt down with her tiny shoes and strapped them to her feet. When she was satisfied that her shoes were on, the child began to kick her feet again, catching him square in the jaw. Wincing, he stood and sighed. "Val…what did I tell you about doing that when I'm putting your shoes on?"

"Daddy, Suzie needs shoes, too!"

He sighed and held up the doll, shaking his head. "Suzie has shoes."

"Oh! I forgot. To the grocery store?"

"Yes," He sighed. "To the grocery store."

* * *

James sat Valerie into the seat on the cart and leaned against the side of it. He ignored the odd looks from patrons and nonchalantly pushed his daughter through the store. "What should we make this week? Grilled cheese…spaghetti…"

"No sketties." Valerie announced. "I don't like sketties."

"Well what would you rather ha—"

"James? James Diamond? Oh my God, it _is you_." The platinum blonde stepped into view and stared at the father/daughter duo. James tried so hard to avoid being seen by someone he knew; he knew it would be a never ending battle with family. "What happened to Katie?"

"I don't want to talk about it," He answered rather sadly. "Please don't make me tell you."

The blonde woman sighed and looked at Valerie. "Does she know?"

"I haven't told her yet, Jo. I can't." He gently pushed Valerie's hair from her eyes and stared down at the unknowing child's face. Her eyes were so bright and full of dreams. She idolized mommy and had a passing interest in daddy. It was going to kill him knowing that she'd miss her mother far more than he would. "I got served with papers today."

"Wait a minute, _she _left _you_?" Jo inquired. "This changes _everything_. Kendall thought it was the other way around. He thought you got tired of her and moved on. God, none of us considered it would be her. She always was pretty flighty."

Jo followed them through the store, deciding it would be best to walk and talk at the same time. "It's everywhere. I can't escape it." He murmured throwing a box of macaroni into the cart. "It's in the newspapers, it's in the tabloids, it's on the news…I can't shelter her…she's going to find out." He noticed Valerie was asleep because she was snoring softly. He knew when she was out, she went down hard.

"Why haven't you told her?" Jo asked, wringing her hands as she walked.

"How do you tell a toddler that her mother disowned her? How can I possibly tell my child that her mother is never coming back? Those tears are heartbreaking enough when she has nightmares, I can't handle them when it's for a real reason." He stared down at Valerie as he walked, eyeing Jo as she put random items into the cart. "Are we shopping for us or for you?"

"James, you've got a daughter to worry about now, and she's not going to survive solely on macaroni. Let me help take care of you guys. It's the least I can do, it is my sister-in-law." She brushed her hair back and sent a quick text to Kendall to stop by James' house later. "Besides, Valerie loves me almost as much as she loves mommy. We'll be there when you tell her."

"I mean, it's not like Katie died, and the divorce isn't final…she could change her mind, right? Jo, I don't understand any of it. She was happy. She was saying she wanted to plan Valerie's birthday…she even told me she wanted to renew her vows and have another baby. What happened?"

"People don't just _fall out of love_, but Katie always seemed to force it from the start. I don't mean anything against you, but she never really seemed happy. Even after she gave birth to Valerie, she seemed to be caught in a depression she couldn't shake. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I suspect Valerie is partly to blame." Jo paused and thought about it. "It doesn't help that you quit your job to take care of Val. That means you were there all the time, and maybe Katie felt smothered by both of you. Be thankful she's not that mother who drowns her child to get away from it."

James couldn't help but think that Jo had a point there. He was incredibly glad that Katie didn't try to kill Valerie. Regardless of what his wife seemed to think, he was fully devoted to his family. Katie was his life, and Valerie was the only woman other than his wife that got his affection. It killed him to hear those words come from anyone, especially a lawyer. "She didn't even come on her own, Jo. She sent a lawyer."

"This says to me that somewhere deep inside Katie still cares about you." Jo murmured, placing items on the conveyer belt for the cashier. She turned to see the tabloids, wondering why James was so quiet all of a sudden. She picked up the one he was staring at and paged through it. Clearly he hadn't left the house in several days if he didn't see this before. Right in the middle of the page was a picture of his wife with another man. Underneath it in bold letters were the words _Diamond Divorce on the Horizon?  
–Katie negotiates with a lawyer  
–Seen with a man that's _not _her husband  
–Katie discusses putting Valerie for adoption!_

Jo skimmed the article about how Katie had hired a lawyer and started discussing options three weeks ago after being spotted with a man at a night club. She scoffed and threw the magazine at the shelf. "People are so nosy."

"Did you know about this?" James asked with a voice he was trying desperately to keep steady. "Did you know she was cheating on me?"

"No, but it's not always as it seems. It's a tabloid, James, not all of them are true." Jo pointed to the last line on the cover. "I especially believe _that _to be a lie. She was in love with Valerie, she wouldn't put her own flesh and blood for adoption."

"Yeah, and I believed that she wouldn't serve me with divorce papers, but I guess all of us are wrong sometimes." He'd been married to Katie for five years; he thought he knew her in that time. Even after her struggle with depression and anorexia, he thought he'd overcome the worst of it. He thought his being by her side would be enough to convince her he was in it for the long haul, but Gregory Matthers – the boy she dated before marrying him – had changed her view on men so drastically, she rarely trusted him. "We were supposed to go to the school tomorrow and enroll Valerie…" he whispered.

"James, don't be beating yourself up over it. This was her decision." Jo responded, picking up bags and placing them in the cart. At least he wouldn't starve. She didn't know for sure if he would survive the oncoming storm, but he wouldn't starve, and Val would be taken care of. "Katie…she changed."

* * *

Kendall Knight sat with his wife, his best friend, and his niece, staring blankly at each other. The night had suddenly got awkward when Kendall showed up out of the blue. Even though Jo had told him to come, he felt an unwelcomed still in the air – for good reason, he was sure. He turned to James first, offering a sympathetic nod.

James choked on the words the first time he tried to say it. Then he finally took a deep breath and stared at Valerie. "Val, sweetie…" She was cuddling that stupid doll that Katie gave her. He was so tired of seeing it, but he could never bring himself to take it away from her. It was a hard plastic doll that always made quite the ruckus when she dropped it down the steps, modeled to look like her. He wanted to rip it from the child's hands and burn it. "Valerie, come here and sit with daddy."

Valerie climbed into his lap and held the doll by its hair, the tiny child staring up at her father with sad eyes. She knew something was coming, she just didn't know what. "Daddy, are you still sad?"

"Valerie, sweetie…" He tried to keep his voice and tone even, but his words broke halfway through the sentence. He felt Jo's hand softly resting on his back for comfort. She had a point earlier; _it's not like Katie is dead, she might change her mind._ "Valerie, mommy isn't coming home tonight."

"Is she with a friend?" Valerie inquired in her typical broken English. "She's playing with a friend, isn't she?"

"Valerie, it's not like that, honey. Mommy isn't coming home…ever. She's gone. She left this morning. She didn't tell daddy where she was going, she told daddy to take care of you, and she wasn't coming back. I'm sorry, Valerie. I know you loved mommy a whole bunch."

Valerie began to cry silently, her tiny body trembling with tears. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her close. She began to wail, her voice breaking each time, hiccupping with tears. "Mommy hates me!"

"No, baby, it isn't you." He whispered, rubbing her back. "It isn't you at all. Mommy is mad at daddy. She didn't need to make you suffer with him, but mommy isn't thinking right now." He brushed a hand through her blonde hair and tried not to cry himself. "Valerie, I'll take care of you, and aunt Jo will help. She said she'll come by every night and tuck you in."

Jo nodded. "I promise, kiddo. You won't be alone. I know you'll miss mommy a whole lot, but she might come back. Mommy's can't leave their babies for a long time – it's a proven fact."

James glared at Jo for a moment before wiping away Valerie's tears. "You'll be okay, we'll get through this together. I promise I'm not going to go anywhere." Valerie calmed slightly and looked at her doll. "Do you want to go to your room and get ready for bed? It's getting pretty late…"

Valerie nodded sadly and dragged her doll up the steps.

James leaned forward and ran his hands through his hair. "I can't believe I was the first man to ever break her heart. Valerie is never going to forgive me for this…I know how she feels. When my parents divorced, I thought it was me. I asked every single night if it was me…mom assured me it wasn't me, but I knew deep down it was." He looked away, shaking his head, wrapping his arms around his body. "Valerie needs Katie. I need Katie. My life is pretty much nothing without her."

Kendall shoved James playfully and shook his head. "My sister is a bitch, she shouldn't have left you like this." The papers still sat on the table where he'd left them that morning, Jo and Kendall had read over them several times, unable to adjust to it themselves. Why would Katie do such a thing? "Katie did stop by and ask me a week ago if I'd take care of Valerie for her…since Jo can't have kids…"

"She told me she wanted to renew our vows, Kendall. It just doesn't add up to me. Something was wrong when she left. Katie wouldn't just up and do something like this without telling me first." James whispered sadly. "I…could just be reading into it…I don't know."

Jo sighed. "I'll go help Valerie get ready for bed. You guys can trash Katie all night."

Kendall gave her a kiss quickly before she stood to leave. He turned back to James as she left the room. They lived in a tiny house, it was what Katie wanted, a close family. For some reason, it seemed so much bigger without her around. The money they had – which was more than enough from Katie's agency and James' records – was stored in an account that wasn't shared between them. He should have known right then that something was horribly wrong with their relationship.

"Well, she's gone…what do I do now?" James inquired.

"Live life the best way you know how. I hate to say it, but you need to focus on being a dad now. Forget Katie. She's gone. She's the past. You need to be here for Valerie now." Kendall answered sadly. "Your daughter needs you now more than ever. Don't let her down."

* * *

_So I had this idea…ran with it. Sorry I've been gone for so damn long. Had a lot of stuff barrage me at once. I'm working on updating slowly. I mean it, literally, slowly. I likely won't go back to some of the older works (If I don't delete them all together)…bear with me as I get back into my groove. Until then, here's a Jatie to quell your insatiable appetite._


	2. You'll Never Understand

James lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling as the rain pattered against the window sill. There was a small sliver of light illuminating the room enough that he could see the photographs of their family scattered on the walls haphazardly. There was one beside the bed of their wedding day that he'd flipped so he couldn't see it. He didn't have the heart to bury it where it wouldn't be seen, because he knew that Val needed that picture when she was sad. It was one of the few things that remained constant, even though Katie changed the décor constantly. He stared over at the empty side of the bed, willing it to all change. It wouldn't, he knew that much, but at least he could imagine his wife was still there.

Closing his eyes, he put his arms under his head and chewed on his lip. "I guess if she's happy…who am I to say no?"

There was a rather loud clap of thunder, and he was immediately on his feet. It didn't take an expert to know that the crying would soon follow. Several seconds later, there was a small patter of feet against the hardwood floor, then a soft pounding at the bedroom door. Katie made it a habit to never leave the door closed on nights like this because of Valerie, but he didn't want the child to hear him crying, so he closed it.

Opening the door, he hoisted the child into his arms and brushed a hand softly through her hair. "Its okay, Val." This was usually Katie's area of expertise, but he knew that Valerie wasn't going to be content with that answer. The child trembled in his arms and for the first time he noticed that Valerie wasn't holding her doll. "Valerie, where is Suzie?"

"Aunty Jo told me to put her away." Valerie murmured between hiccups. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and whimpered. "I miss Suzie."

"Valerie, don't listen to everything Aunt Jo tells you," James mumbled padding softly down the hall to her bedroom. "Where did you put her?"

"In a box under the bed." Valerie replied, sniffling and wiping her tears away.

James gently sat the child on the bed and lifted the duvet cover to slide the box out from under the bed. He saw the window like opening and thought it seemed oddly like a coffin. Shaking his head, he opened the box and fixed the doll's hair. "I think Suzie needs her mommy as much as you do," James commented offhandedly. He handed the doll to the crying toddler and smiled softly. "There, now Suzie is happy again. I know you miss mommy, kiddo, but don't hate Suzie because of what mommy did. Suzie is here to make you feel better."

"But she reminds me of mommy, I don't want her to remind me of mommy," Valerie whispered through tears.

James leaned back on his heels and gently touched his daughter's knees. "Valerie, you remind me of mommy. Every time I look at you I see mommy, and it hurts. I know how you feel. But you're my baby, and I have to take care of you – no – I _need _to take care of you, because even though you remind me of mommy, I can't let you go. I don't know what mommy was thinking, but I would never be able to give you up to Aunt Jo."

She trembled softly and wiped away her tears again. "Daddy, mommy usually makes me cocoa when I can't sleep,"

He smiled and kissed her forehead, bringing her into his arms again. "I know the ritual. We'll go down to the kitchen and make some cocoa." He held his daughter with one arm and grabbed her blanket with the other, while she clasped her doll by its hair. "What movie do you want to watch tonight?"

"Uhm…" Valerie pondered this for a while, her tiny finger poking at her lip. "Umm…Little Mermaid?"

"You got it, gorgeous," He commented with a laugh.

* * *

James sat with his daughter resting gently against his arm, watching the movie. He made sure to turn most of the lights on in the room to calm her down, and the sound up fairly loud so she couldn't hear the thunder. He sighed and brushed back her hair, setting her glass on the coffee table where it belonged. "Are you tired, _Bella_?"

"Daddy, my name isn't Bella, its Valerie." The girl said with a laugh.

"No, Valerie. _Bella_ means _beautiful_ in Spanish." He blinked several times. He thought he'd mentioned to her before that he was part Spanish, but apparently it slipped his mind. The irony was that Katie spoke fluent French, but Spanish was beyond her. "Your daddy is part Spanish, his mommy is Spanish."

Valerie sat up and looked over at her father with those faded brown eyes that were so similar to Katie's. "Really, daddy? That's so cool! So you're like Uncle Carlos?"

"I wouldn't say I'm like Uncle Carlos," he murmured absently, turning back to the movie. Valerie had dragged her blanket from her room and her pillow, and curled up on the couch in the crook of his arm. He smiled down at his precious daughter and sighed. "Don't grow up, okay, kiddo? Daddy needs you to stay this age forever."

"Daddy, I got to grow up, I want to have a baby of my own." Valerie commented, snuggling Suzie close.

James' eyes widened and he shot a sharp look towards the toddler curled in his arms. "No! You're only four; you have another twenty years before you can even _consider _children."

"I _guess_ having Suzie is okay for now." Valerie whispered.

The lights flickered which caused her to tense up significantly. James protectively reached down to hold her close. "Its okay, Valerie."

"But the lights keep flickering, daddy." She trembled slightly. "What if it's a ghost?"

"It's the wind from the storm. That happens sometimes because the power lines get blown around. Stay here, _Bella_. I'll be right back." He wandered off to the basement to dig through the camping gear. There were boxes of Katie's photographs from when she was younger, several boxes of band merchandise she made, and a few posters of him that she swore she never owned. Under that mess was the camping gear in a plastic container. He dug through it until he found the two kerosene lanterns that Carlos insisted they buy.

Halfway up the steps, he heard a loud, eardrum shattering screech, originating from the living room. Racing up the steps and sliding to a stop on the hardwood floor, James was immediately glad he knew the layout of his house for the first time in years, or he would have fallen on the hardwood table he couldn't see. "Valerie?"

"Daddy! It's dark! I'm scared!" The child screamed. "I can't see! I think I'm blind!"

James chuckled softly and twisted the lock on the lantern to light it. It illuminated just enough in the room that he could see Valerie, cuddled in the fetal position on the couch, her doll grasped tightly in her arms. "There you go, _Bella_…just enough light that you can see daddy. I have to go to my room quick, okay? Stay here and don't move, you'll be fine."

He padded down the hall slowly, listening to his daughter comfort her baby doll. It was a sad sight; he couldn't bear to watch it. Stopping only long enough to stare at the photograph of his wife, he shook his head. Reddish hair danced with each sharp movement. "The first night without you isn't going so well. I don't know why you left. If this is what you wanted from the start, I can't say no…but damnit, Katie. You broke your daughter's heart. She adores you." He cussed before punching a dresser. Shaking his fist from the sudden throbbing sensation he sighed. "I don't care if you break my heart, I'm worried about Valerie. Clearly you weren't." He murmured flipping the picture down and grabbing his pillow and blanket.

James made sure to turn all the lights to the off position, and unplug the electronics before curling up on the couch and opening his arms up to Valerie. The small child nestled into his arms and closed her eyes. "I feel safe, daddy."

"I'm glad," He whispered with a yawn. Deep down inside, he was falling apart.

* * *

The tired, and somewhat annoyed man, awoke to a cell phone screaming at him, and a soft humming sound. He opened one eye to peek before groggily sitting up and stretching. The couch was the least comfortable place in the house, but he didn't think he'd fit in Val's canopy bed, and he certainly didn't want her sleeping in his bed. He looked to the source of the humming.

Val was very self-sufficient because of Katie's hectic schedule. The small child was already dressed in her "photography" attire, and sitting at the table kicking her small feet while she happily munched on a bowl of cheerios. He smiled softly at the sight before sliding the unlock on his screen.

_James, I need to talk to you about Katie._ –

He raised a brow before the incessant pounding on the door startled him from his spot. "Good job, Val. I'm proud of you." He commented, kissing her forehead on the way to the front door. Briefly the man considered the fact that he was adorning nothing but a pair of old green sweatpants, but it didn't affect him much since the paparazzi had already seen him mooning a police officer the year before Valerie was born. He opened the door and saw a very frazzled, very unkempt, very upset Camille.

The brunette walked right passed him into the house.

"Uh, hi, Camille." James mumbled as she passed him by. He sighed and closed the door, still staring outside. "What brings you here?"

Camille frowned and flopped down on the couch. She turned to look at her husband's friend, her frizzy hair sticking up every which way, making her look like a crazy lady. "No one told me about Katie's little…uh…decision, but I know why she did it."

James blinked several times and sat beside Camille, suddenly very interested in what the psycho looking lady had to say. "Was it because of me or Valerie?"

"No," Camille sighed and took out her phone, bringing up a list of texts from Katie. She scrolled to the ones that were locked and handed him the phone.

_[6:05] Camille? Can you call Carlos and have him check if this car is stolen? –K.D._

_[6:05] What's wrong? – _

_[6:07] I've been seeing this car everywhere I go. I pulled off, so did they. I went into the mall, so did they. When I pulled into the driveway at home, they kept going straight. –K.D._

_[6:10] Do you have the license plate number? – _

_[6:12] Yeah, I'll give it to you when they turn. –K.D._

_[6:12] Are you texting and driving? Please stop, that's dangerous. – _

_[6:21] Katie? – _

_[6:22] Katie? Are you there? – _

_[6:30] Katie, answer me or I'm calling 911. -_

_[6:40] Camille, I'm okay. Don't tell anyone what just happened, please. Don't even tell Carlos. I'm fine. I don't want to worry anyone._

Camille turned her phone off and looked at James. "That was the last text I got from her. I hadn't heard from her since."

He rubbed his chin, listening to Camille's confession. "It doesn't explain why she left."

Camille nodded and looked up at him. "She sent me a picture of the license plate that was following her. Carlos looked it up and found out it was stolen, but we don't know who was driving it. We suspect they kidnapped her."

James shook his head rapidly. "No, she would need to be present to talk to the lawyer."

Camille shook her head this time. "Unless the lawyer was working with them or he's not a lawyer at all. Let Logan look at the paperwork, I'm sure if there are any mistakes, he'll find them." The brunette looked over at Valerie. "What did you tell her?"

"The truth," He whispered sadly. "I take it that Peanut is keeping you up all night?"

"The dog? No. We broke the scratching and barking habit. It's Faye that's doing it now. She cries all the time." Camille sighed and leaned back as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. "And with Logan in medical school, doing his residency, I have to watch her while he's sleeping. I rarely see him now."

"Such is the life," James commented, looking over to Valerie. "I thought it was weird that Katie sent a lawyer on her behalf. She would have talked to me."

"James, there's something else you need to know." Camille began softly.

The pretty boy looked at her with dark brown eyes. "She was kidnapped?"

Camille showed him a photo that was on her phone.

He gingerly took the phone from her, tracing the contours of the black and white image. "Oh, God…"

"If she was kidnapped, she'd be smart not to tell the kidnappers about it. They'll use it as leverage or try to kill her." Camille commented, hoping her voice was low enough that the child at the table couldn't hear. "But she was pregnant when she went missing."

James, for the first time in a long time, began to cry softly. "Camille, this is all my fault."

"How is it your fault? Katie was more famous than you, she had more to lose."

"She must be in pain right now," James whispered, his voice cracking. "I let this happen. I wasn't there. I was going to take her to work that day and I decided not to because of Valerie's first day of school. I'm a horrible husband and father."

"No one saw this coming," Camille answered. "But we need to tell Kendall. And Carlos."

James paused and looked at Camille, staring at the phone again. He looked at the date that the picture was taken and looked back at the frazzled brunette sitting next to him. He quickly did the math in his head. "It's not mine."

"What?" Camille inquired.

"The baby. It's not mine. Camille, something is really, _really, _wrong here."


	3. You Don't Know What We've Been Through

James decided that morning that he was going to call Kendall about what Camille had told him. It would require getting all the guys together in the same room, and he wasn't sure that could be done with everyone's schedule. He had texted to see if it was possible that they could meet up on Logan's lunch break since his was the less likely to fit into their routine. He got Kendall and Logan's reply, but not Carlos.

He figured Carlos would probably reply after he dropped Valerie off at school. The man quietly entered the pink room that Katie decorated for their only child. There were butterflies pasted to the wall, and a rather large netted canopy around the bed frame. He had insisted at the time that Valerie was much too small for her own bed, but Katie decided on a day bed so that she wouldn't roll off the side.

He stood in the doorway in his pajamas still, watching the small girl in her sleep. He folded his arms and leaned one shoulder against the doorjamb, shaking his head. Valerie actually managed to sleep that night, even though she'd woken up three times because of a nightmare. He hadn't realized that Katie left the night light on because she was scared of the dark and the door open because she wanted to run away. No one told him the closet had to be locked, and the blanket had to be tucked under her feet. These were little things he wasn't aware of.

He wondered how Katie did it all the time without even so much as questioning his daughter's motives. It wasn't that he didn't spend a lot of time with Valerie, it's because he was usually in bed before the child went to sleep, so Katie was the one who often took care of her at night.

He pushed his long hair to the side and stepped forward, kneeling down in front of the tiny child's brass bed. He gently laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Valerie, sweetie, it's time to get up. You have to get ready for school."

Valerie whimpered something incoherent and snuggled her doll closer to her tiny frame. "I don't want to go, daddy."

"You have to, _bella_; you're not going to want to miss your first day, are you? You'll get to see Luca and Jamie." James tried to ration, brushing the child's hair back from her face. He faintly felt a burning over his palm. Raising a brow, he flipped his palm and felt for a fever. "_Bella, _have you been sick all night?"

Valerie nodded sadly and huddled into her blanket. "I threw up on the floor."

James stood quietly and frowned. He hadn't noticed. "I'll clean it up, baby." He stole another sidelong glance at his baby and shook his head. He had dealt with Katie's morning sickness, but that was different – there was no cause for that within his control. This was something that would eventually go away. He left the room to get a scrub brush and some carpet cleaner.

Valerie sat up when she noticed he wasn't there anymore. She held her doll close in fear. "Daddy!"

James ran into the room, fear clutching his heart like icy tendrils. "What's wrong, baby?"

She pointed to the closet door, thumb in her mouth. He noticed it was slightly askew and that was what scared her. It must have come open when he bumped it cleaning up the mess. "There's monsters, daddy."

James heaved a sigh and gently shut the door, latching it closed. He turned to his daughter and smiled. "There are no monsters in your closet, and if there are, daddy will kick their butt." He blinked, having an idea. Taking a bell from her cat costume from Halloween, he tied it around a bow and put it on the door handle. "There, now, whenever the bell rings, you come get daddy or yell as loud as you can."

She shook her head and trembled. "No! They'll get me before you come in!"

James sighed and left the room again. When he came back, he held a small spray bottle with sugar diluted in water. He'd written in sharpie on the side; _Monster Be-Gone_. "Here, _bella_. If the monsters try to come after you, spray them with this. It's sweet, and monsters don't like sweet things."

Valerie stopped trembling slightly and sprayed her father in the chest with it. She started to giggle hysterically. "It works! Thanks daddy!"

"How do you know it works?"

"Because you didn't disappear!" She answered with a wide grin, one that he'd recognized so well as his own.

He smiled back and began to clean up her mess, murmuring something under his breath about how he'd been blessed with a beautiful, smart, intuitive daughter with a wild imagination…but he could do without the messiness. "Are you feeling well enough to go to school?"

"Huh uh!" She shouted, rapidly shaking her head. She fell backwards onto the bed. "I just made myself dizzy!"

He chuckled softly and stared at her. She was so much like a young version of his wife; it was hard not to miss Katie. His brown eyes stared down at the soapy water with a forlorn look. He needed to get this mess on the road so he could talk to Kendall at noon. While taking care of his daughter was a priority, so was finding out what happened to Katie.

"Daddy, I don't feel so good."

With catlike reflexes, James grabbed the garbage can next to the bed and held it out for his tiny daughter.

* * *

Jo sighed and took Valerie into her arms. The blonde shook her head slightly at the sleeping child in her arms. "You gave her Nyquil? At eleven in the morning?"

"I'm not so great with this parenting thing," James admitted, wringing his hands. "I didn't want her to hear the conversation; she doesn't need to know about mommy." He looked away for a moment, listening to Kendall cursing at the hockey game. "Glad to know he's totally normal."

"He assumes Katie ran away, he didn't know Katie cheated…or that she may have been kidnapped. That's what today is about." Jo brushed a hand maternally through Valerie's hair. "I'll go put her down for a nap; I would like to be privy to this conversation."

James sat beside his best friend on the large sofa, sitting on the back of the couch, watching the game. He listened to Kendall cursing a long stream before he realized who was beside him. "That's unfair, that pass was completely legal."

"Yeah, I saw it." James murmured, not really even listening. "Is Carlos coming?"

"Yeah, he'll be here in a few minutes. Logan is just outside town with Camille, what's going on?" Kendall inquired, pausing the game that had been recorded nights in advance. "You look really beat up, James."

"Ah, it's just that Valerie's sick and I'm having trouble keeping up with her." He commented casually, hearing the doorbell ring. Jo chirped that she'd go get it. "I really miss my wife, you know."

"It's only been three days, dude. She bailed, get over it. Katie has her reasoning." Kendall quietly mumbled. "Hey Logan, what's up Camille?"

The couple nodded towards their friends on the couch. Camille's look changed to one of sympathy, Logan's one of regret. Kendall noticed. "What am I missing here? Did Katie die?" Kendall went to sit up, but Jo casually pushed him back down by placing a palm on his shoulder. "Jo?"

"Baby, I think you need to be sitting down for this," Jo quietly whispered, taking her husband's hand into her own and holding it tight, caressing his palms and twisting his wedding band in worry. "Camille, since Carlos isn't here yet, maybe you should update him."

Camille nodded and sat on the edge of the coffee table; she very calmly brushed her hair over her shoulder and looked to Logan. Her husband gave a sympathetic nod before she continued. James closed his eyes tightly, not wanting to replay the conversation in his head. "Katie was being followed for almost a week prior to disappearing. Several nights before she went missing, she sent me a picture of a sonogram."

Kendall stood to his feet, glaring at James. "You were my best friend! How could you hurt my baby sister like that? You were supposed to be protecting her! That's why you quit your job!"

James jumped to his feet and took a step back, suddenly feeling very sick. Normally he'd be the first to get involved in a fight, but this was different. This was concerning his wife. He couldn't do it. He couldn't bear to hear Kendall's accusations. He stood, his back pressed against the wall, shaking his head. "I agree. I should have protected her better. I should have listened to me when she came to me and told me she was scared. I should have stopped her from going to work that day. But you know what, Kendall? I'm not superman. I'm not proud of what happened, I'm scared to even fathom what happened in the last three days. She's my wife; I love her, no matter what the papers may say. I'm incredibly worried about her – probably far more than you are – and I know that Valerie is, too. But you also need to take something into account; the sonogram she sent – it's not my baby."

Kendall froze in place, his hand rising to point accusingly at James. "Are you implying my sister cheated on you? She was _devoted _to you, she wouldn't _cheat_."

James growled under his breath. "We haven't slept together since Valerie was born," He muttered. "I was okay with that. We haven't even slept in the same room since Valerie was born. I was under the assumption it was post-partum depression, and she'd get over it. She never got over it, and I just accepted it. I just need to accept that towards the end – Katie really didn't love me anymore."

"No," Camille shook her head. "Katie always loved you; she just had a strange way of showing it."

James turned on the brunette, his eyes hollow. "How would you know?"

"She told me everything that happened between you. She always said she was sorry for the way she treated you. She said she wished she could take it back, but she didn't go into detail as to why. James, Katie was in love with you – _madly – _in love with you."

Jo nodded. "She told me the same thing. She told me that she wished she could have spent more time with you. I assumed she meant that she was always busy and wanted to be with you more. I didn't know she was in the know about this…come to think of it, how would she know?"

Logan raised a brow. "The picture, does it have extra lines? Like a 3D image?"

James had memorized what it looked like, he nodded, his voice silent. "Yes, why?"

"Camille, email me the picture." Logan disappeared for some time. The room fell into an eerie silence while he was gone. He came back with his laptop. Booting it up and bringing up some software, he opened the image into an editing program of some kind. "This happens sometimes. Only really smart people do this, I wonder who she was talking to…"

"You gonna fill us in?" Camille inquired, watching her husband working.

Logan nodded, turning to Kendall and James. "Kendall, Katie didn't cheat. James, your wife was faithful." He twisted the screen so they could see the underlying image of a man. "Sometimes when people feel threatened, they encrypt data over another set of data. By removing all the imaging, pixels and likewise, you can reveal another image. It's scary light, but it's there. I touched it up so you could see." Logan commented nearly inaudibly. "Katie knew what was happening."

"Why wouldn't she tell me?" James asked, whispering to no one in particular.

"She was protecting Valerie," Carlos answered, staring at the group from the doorway. "Hi, I just got here," He replied, still in uniform from work. "We searched Katie's office."

After Jo made coffee for the group and checked on Valerie, as well as coached James through a breathing exercise so he didn't pass out from shock, they all gathered around the kitchen table to hear what Carlos had to say. He'd been on the police force for a few years, having started just after the band split up. His father also had quite a bit of pull locally, after transferring as a chief shortly after Carlos' quit the band. Since Katie was so wealthy, it became a high-priority case.

Carlos set down a file in front of the group. "Katie was being followed by a gang in LA; witness testimony puts them at about 35 times before she finally went missing. We searched her office at work and came across quite a few death threats, as well as a phone call on her personal line from a man named Richard Rockwell, he had explained to Katie that he had intended to kidnap Valerie. We don't have a motive yet." Carlos turned to James. "James, your wife is still alive."

James was clenching the mug so hard that Jo was positive he'd shatter it. His knuckles were white, his eyes downcast, staring at his reflection. He barely heard Carlos' words. "Prove it."

Carlos removed a photograph from the last page of the folder and tossed it in front of him. "That was taken from the security camera outside your house. She tried to break in, and even managed to get in. She was going to take Valerie, until – I assume – Valerie had to go to the bathroom. That was dated last night."

James paused and studied the image. It was certainly Katie, adorned in her typical black garments when she was thieving. His breath caught. "That's not possible. She wouldn't kidnap Valerie."

"Keep an eye on her," Carlos admitted.

Logan piped up next. "She sent an image—"

"An encrypted file, we know. It's a picture of Richard, the man she was last seen with. Incidentally, the one at the bar." Carlos tossed a copy of a tabloid down on the table; the one Jo was reading just a few days before. "Want to tell me what the highlighted portion says?"

Jo took the magazine first and opened to a bookmarked page. Carlos wasn't smart enough to figure this out on his own, he had to have help. But he was right; the first word of each sentence was a plea for help. "If anyone finds this, please help me. I don't know who keeps threatening me, but please, listen. I'm not safe. My name is Katie Diamond, please tell the police." Jo read out loud.

James ripped the magazine from her hands and stared at the pages himself. "She knew!"

"This was published before she went missing," Logan answered, staring at the page as well. "What's going on here?"

Carlos turned to the group, his usual happy tone cut to one of slight anger. "Katie was kidnapped; she was forced to divorce James, and likely put up to kidnapping her own child."

"Why wouldn't they just have her ask for custody in the divorce papers?" James inquired. "Wouldn't it be easier than kidnapping her?"

"Yes, but you would have also put up a fight," Carlos reminded him. "They didn't want to go to court over any of this. They wanted a quick and easy out. Richard Rockwell is notorious for kidnapping famous children and selling them back to the parent. Katie likely went in Valerie's place."

"How long was this happening for?" James couldn't help but ask his friend, his voice tiny. "She ignored my existence for three years…she couldn't have been happy the whole time she was with me. These men, they followed her for years."

Carlos nodded. "It's the Rockwell M/O. Katie's probably putting up a fight even now," Carlos admitted. "I can't possibly see her going down that easily."

* * *

Katie opened her eyes to a dark room. She was groggy, she could barely see anything. Her whole world was spinning, her heart beating a million miles an hour. The woman's hands were tied tightly behind her back, her brain hazy from the day before. She saw a camera in the upper left hand corner, likely monitoring her, and a tray of bread and broth on the floor. She didn't know how she'd eat if her hands were tied, but at least someone was thinking of her. A screen came to life in front of her, and relayed a video feed.

She recognized that house. She recognized those beautiful petunias that she and her daughter planted only a month before. There was a soft whimper that escaped her parched throat. That was her. The video continued and cut to a totally different view, one of the bedroom. Her husband was sitting in the bed, cradling their daughter close, rocking gently back and forth. It was a heartbreaking scene. She'd seen it hundreds of times, but it looked like he was not only comforting the child, but also seeking comfort in her presence. That's when she noticed she'd raised a hand to open the window and stopped, running away. What was she doing? She wouldn't kidnap her own child, would she?

A gate-type door creaked open and the screen went dark. She licked her lips and swallowed hard. Everything was so dry. They must have been in the desert. She could feel the floorboards vibrate with each step the person took, even though it was a short distance. They stopped just in front of her and kicked her in the ribs. "You failed."

"I didn't know I was supposed to kidnap my daughter," Katie squeaked. "Please leave Valerie alone. James will pay to have me released; you don't need to kidnap her, too." She found it hard to speak with her throat so dry. "Please! Leave my family alone!"

The man knelt beside her and smacked her hard across the face, her lip busting open in the process. "I always expected more of you, Katie. I always expected such high and mighty things of you, but you let me down again. So, we'll have to try this again." She could see very little light, but she knew enough to know when the man had a needle. "Please, don't fight me this time, Catherine."

Katie tried to skitter away before she felt her back touch cool metal. That's when she realized she was in a van. She tried to kick at the man, but with how hungry she was, she found it difficult to muster any strength. That's when she felt the sharp sting of metal in her neck, followed by the searing pain of what she had assumed to be a date-rape drug. "Please, don't do this!" She pleaded, tears pricking her eyes from pain. "I'll pay you whatever you want!"

"We already cleaned out your account, Catherine." The man answered, smirking in the light. "You're going to kidnap your child."

"But what good does it do you!" She screamed. "He's going to stop at nothing to find her, and he'll know I did it!" She started to feel very groggy, her whole body feeling heavy suddenly. "Please, just leave Valerie alone."

The man shook his head and pinned her to the wall by her neck. "You're going to get me what I want. If you get me your daughter, I'll allow you to eat again."

Katie was rather hungry. She didn't know where she was, but her tiny body was trembling in pain, and her head was swimming again. What was this feeling? She began to feel dizzy. Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell to the side.

When Katie awoke again several moments later, she was outside her house, dressed up and clean; her hands free. She went to go inside but noticed the lock was changed. That or she couldn't see straight enough to find the key. She pounded on the door but no one answered. No one lived there anymore. She was in Minnesota. What was she doing in Minnesota? Valerie was in California!

She made her way down the street, unaware of the tracking device on the inside of her wedding band. She stopped outside the other building and pounded on the door. "Mr. Diamond! Please open up, it's Katie! It's your daughter in law!"

David answered the door, but not before cursing rather loudly. "What, Katie? What do you want? Did you come here to show me your drug addicted self again?"

She blinked and looked down at her hands; there were marks all the way up her arms to give the appearance of having done drugs. "No, Mr. Diamond, I need you to call James…please…tell him I'm okay and I love him. Please."

Several moments passed before the police arrived on scene and stepped up behind her. "Do you know this woman?" One of the officers asked.

David shook his head. "Never seen her before in my life," He admitted, watching as an officer cuffed her and dragged her away. "Stay gone this time, I'm tired of you showing up here for handouts."

Katie sat in the cell with a dark expression on her face. Her stomach was hurting, likely going to eat it; and her hair was frizzed and unkempt. She'd been there for a day now, and she was starting to lose her fight.

"I'll only ask you this one more time," The officer demanded, leaning through the bars of the cell. "What is your name?"

She looked up with watery brown eyes. "I…I don't remember."

She could barely hear the whispered words between the two officers. "She's on drugs" was thrown about quite a bit. "Do a drug test?"

"We did," The younger officer answered. "She came up positive for LSD, cocaine, meth, and ecstasy."

"No wonder she doesn't remember who she is," The man replied, looking at the woman in the cell. "Must be a hardcore druggie to be looking for a buzz like that."

"I don't know, it seems odd," The younger one began again. "She was muttering about a James Diamond character, she's wearing a wedding band, and she said she has a daughter. Why would someone who's married with kids be looking for a fix that desperately? And I know David Diamond; he's certainly _not _a drug addict. And that look in his eye suggested he knew her."

The older cop shook his head. "Damnit, Garcia would know. This is too suspicious. She doesn't even have any information on her."

"Just put her in the system as _Jane Doe_, someone will claim her eventually." The younger one replied sadly.


End file.
